Folding support structure

ABSTRACT

A folding support structure includes a top support and a leg assembly. The top support has a pivot connector and an assembler, wherein the assembler has an assembling surface. The leg assembly includes a column, which includes a pivotally connected end, a free end, and a wing. The column is pivotally connected to the pivot connector of the top support with the pivotally connected end thereof, whereby the column is pivotable relative to the top support. The wing of the column has an abutting surface. When the column pivots to an unfolded position, the abutting surface of the wing contacts the assembling surface of the assembler, and is secured thereto through a fixing connection approach. By folding a top and legs of a desk, the total volume could be reduced, benefiting the cargo capacity utilization, which therefore increases the shipping efficiency. Furthermore, such a desk can be easily assembled.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to a support structure for desks, and more particularly to a folding support structure which, when unfolded, could make a desk stay in an upright position.

Description of Related Art

In general cases, office desks are assembled in factories before being shipped to locations designated by customers. If one customer orders great amount of office desks, it would be a difficult problem for office furniture manufactures to arrange an efficient way to load completely assembled office desks on trucks and to optimize the rounds needed for the delivery.

To solve the above problem that completely assembled desks are not convenient for transportation, manufacturers have developed desk products packaged with separate parts which can be assembled after the delivery. In this way, the volume of such a desk product can be reduced, and therefore the cargo capacity utilization and the shipping efficiency can be enhanced.

However, these kinds of desk products which have separate parts require customers to assembly those parts on his or her own by following instruction manuals, and therefore, if the order quantity is large or if the installation of the separate parts is too complicated, assembling these desks will be a very time-consuming task. Furthermore, if users incorrectly assembly the parts or take the install steps in wrong orders, the desk products may be damaged in an unrecoverable manner, and the resultant desks would be unable to be used normally.

On the other hand, desk products which need to be assembled by users themselves mostly have simple structures; otherwise, the installation may be too difficult for common users to perform. But simple structures may decrease the structural reliability and support capability. Therefore, these kinds of desk products are usually less durable, provide less loading capacity, and have lower stability in comparison to conventional desks which are completely assembled in factories.

Therefore, conventional desk structures still have obvious drawbacks to be resolved.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above, the objective of the present invention is to provide a folding support structure, and more particularly a folding support structure for desks. The volume of a desk can be reduced by folding the desk top and the legs of said folding support structure, whereby the cargo capacity utilization could be increased, and therefore the transportation efficiency of the desks applied with the folding support structure provided in the present invention could be improved.

The present invention provides a folding support structure, which includes a top support and a leg assembly. The top support has a pivot connector and an assembler, wherein the assembler has an assembling surface. The leg assembly includes a column, wherein the column includes a pivotally connected end, a free end, and a wing. The column is pivotally connected to the pivot connector of the top support with the pivotally connected end thereof so that the column is pivotable relative to the top support. The wing of the column has an abutting surface. When the column pivots to an unfolded position, the abutting surface of the wing contacts the assembling surface of the assembler, and is secured thereto through a fixing connection approach.

The present invention further provides a folding support structure, which includes a top support and a leg assembly. The top support has a pivot connector and an assembler. The leg assembly includes a column, which comprises a pivotally connected end, a free end, and a wing, wherein the column is pivotally connected to the pivot connector of the top support with the pivotally connected end thereof, so that the column is pivotal relative to the top support. When the column pivots to an unfolded position, the wing is fixedly connected to the assembler through a fixing connection approach which is performed with a single connecting point.

With the folding support structure provided in the present invention, the volume of a desk can be reduced by folding the desk top and the legs thereof, whereby the cargo capacity could be better utilized, and therefore the desks equipped with the folding support structure could be shipped more efficiently. On the other hand, the folding support structure provided in the present invention can be used easily, which means that a desk in a folded state can be turned into an unfolding state effortlessly. The unfolded desk is ready to be used after the support bases are assembled. Compared to desk products which need to be assembled by hand, the desks applied with the folding support structure provided in the present invention are more durable, and have a higher loading capacity and higher stability.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of some illustrative embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a desk applied with a folding support structure of an embodiment of the present invention, which is in a folded state and is viewed from a first view angle;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the desk shown in FIG. 1, which is viewed from a second view angle;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the desk shown in FIG. 1 when it is in an unfolding state and is viewed from the first view angle;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the desk shown in FIG. 3, but viewed from the second view angle;

FIG. 4B is an enlarged partial view of a desk applied with a folding support structure of an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 2 of the folding support structure of the original embodiment of the present invention, wherein the folding support structure is in an unassembled state;

FIG. 6 is another partial cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 2 of the folding support structure of the aforementioned embodiment of the present invention, wherein the folding support structure is in an assembled state;

FIG. 7 is yet another sectional view of the folding support structure of the same embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged partial bottom view of the support arm of the folding support structure of said embodiment of the present invention, wherein the support arm is in a folded state;

FIG. 9 is another enlarged partial bottom view of the support arm of the folding support structure of said embodiment of the present invention, wherein the support arm is in an unfolded state; and

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 10-10 in FIG. 9 of the support arm of the folding support structure of said embodiment of the present invention, wherein the support arm is in the unfolded state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A desk 1 applied with a folding support structure of a first embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, wherein the desk 1 is in a folded state, and FIG. 1 is presented from a first view angle while FIG. 2 is presented from a second view angle.

The desk 1 includes the folding support structure, which includes a top support 10, a leg assembly 20, and a top 30. The top 30 includes a central plate 32 and two drop-leaves 34. Each of the drop-leaves 34 is pivotably connected to the central plate 32, respectively, whereby each of the drop-leaves 34 can be pivoted related to the central plate 32. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the desk 1 is shown in the folded state, wherein each of the drop-leaves 34 is substantially perpendicular to the central plate 32, and the leg assembly 20 is folded toward the top support 10, forming the folded state. In this way, the volume of the desk 1 can be reduced, which would facilitate the enhancement of the cargo capacity utilization, and would, therefore, improve the shipping efficiency of the desk 1 applied with the folding support structure provided in the embodiments of the present invention.

Please refer to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4A, wherein FIG. 3 is a perspective view seen from the first view angle, showing the above-mentioned desk 1 in an unfolded state, and FIG. 4A is another perspective view seen from the second view angle, showing the same desk 1 in the unfolded state.

Both in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4A, the desk 1 is presented in the unfolded state, wherein a top surface of each of the drop-leaves 34 is substantially level with a top surface of the central plate 32, and the leg assembly 20 is far from the top support 10, forming the unfolded state, whereby the desk 1 is set. In the current embodiment of the present invention, the leg assembly 20 further includes a support base 24, which is detachably connected to a free end 224 of a column 22. With the folding support structure provided in the present invention, the desk 1 in the folded state shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 can be easily unfolded into the unfolded state as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4A. Furthermore, the desk 1 in the unfolded state is ready for use once the support base 24 is assembled. Compared to conventional desk products which need to be assembled by users themselves, the desk 1 having the folding support structure provided in the present invention has a more durable structure, and provides a higher loading capacity and stability.

As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the top support 10 has a pivot connector 12 and an assembler 14, and the leg assembly 20 includes the column 22, wherein the column 22 includes a pivotally connected end 222, the free end 224, and a wing 226. The column 22 is pivotally connected to the pivot connector 12 of the top support 10 with the pivotally connected end 222 thereof, and therefore the column 22 is pivotable relative to the top support 10. In FIG. 5, the column 22 is in a folded state relative to the top support 10; in FIG. 6, the column 22 is in an unfolded state relative to the top support 10. According to the current embodiment, the wing 226 protrudes from a lateral side 22 a of the column 22 in a radial direction.

The assembler 14 has an assembling surface 142, and the wing 226 of the column 22 has an abutting surface 2262. When the column 22 is pivoted to an unfolded position, the abutting surface 2262 of the wing 226 contacts the assembling surface 142 of the assembler 14, and is secured thereto through a fixing connection approach, as shown in FIG. 6. In the current embodiment, the wing 226 is secured to the assembler 14 merely through a single connecting point.

In FIG. 6, the assembler 14 includes a bolt 144 provided on the assembling surface 142, and the wing 226 has a notch (not shown) or a bore 2264 corresponding to the bolt 144. When the abutting surface 2262 of the wing 226 contacts the assembling surface 142 of the assembler 14, the bolt 144 of the assembler 14 passes through the notch or the bore 2264 of the wing 226. The fixing connection approach mentioned above is threading a nut 2265 onto the bolt 144, whereby to fixedly connect the wing 226 and the assembler 14. However, the method of connecting these two components is not limited to the approach described herein. Any manner to mutually fix the wing 226 and the assembler 14 when the wing 226 contacts the assembler 14 should be considered within the scope of the present invention. In another embodiment, the wing 226 and the assembler 14 are fixedly connected through a quick-release lever 2266 which is connected to the bolt 144, as shown in FIG. 4B and FIG. 5.

As shown in FIG. 7, the column 22 further includes a stepless extendable sleeve assembly. The stepless extendable sleeve assembly includes a plurality of sleeves 228 a, 228 b, 228 c, each of which fits into one another in an extendable manner, and therefore a length of the column 22 can be adjusted. In the current embodiment, the sleeves 228 a, 228 b, 228 c have different internal diameters, and they sequentially fit into one another by the internal diameters. Specifically, the internal diameter of the sleeve 228 a is greater than that of the sleeve 228 b, and the internal diameter of the sleeve 228 b is greater than that of the sleeve 228 c; as a result, the sleeve 228 c fits into the sleeve 228 b, while the sleeve 228 b fits into the sleeve 228 a.

In FIG. 7, the leg assembly 20 further includes a threaded rod 26 and a plurality of nuts 28 a, 28 b. The threaded rod 26 and the nuts 28 a, 28 b are all provided in the stepless extendable sleeve assembly. In the current embodiment, the nuts 28 a is correspondingly secured to the sleeve 228 b, and the nuts 28 b is correspondingly secured to the sleeve 228 c. In addition, the threaded rod 26 passes through the nuts 28 a, 28 b. When the threaded rod 26 is driven to rotate by a driving unit 40, the nuts 28 a, 28 b are driven by the threaded rod 26 to move along an axial direction AX of the threaded rod 26, whereby the sleeves 228 b, 228 c are driven to extend or contract, and the length of the column 22 is adjusted as a result. In the current embodiment, the threaded rod 26 and the driving unit 40 are connected to each other through a bevel gear assembly (not shown), which transfers the kinetic energy of the driving unit 40 to the threaded rod 26 to rotate the threaded rod 26. In the current embodiment, the driving unit 40 is an electric motor or a rotating component which is manually operated.

As shown in FIG. 8 to FIG. 10, the top support 10 is fixedly connected to a bottom surface of the top 30. In the current embodiment, the top 30 includes the central plate 32 and the drop-leaves 34, wherein the drop-leaves 34 are pivotally connected to the central plate 32, and the drop-leaves 34 are pivotable relative to the central plate 32. In the current embodiment, the top support 10 includes a support arm 16, which is pivotally connected to the assembler 14 so that the support arm 16 is pivotable relative to the assembler 14. In FIG. 8, the support arm 16 is at a folded position, where the support arm 16 is substantially parallel to the pivot connector 12; in FIG. 9, the support arm 16 is at a support position, where the support arm 16 is substantially perpendicular to the pivot connector 12.

When the support arm 16 is at the folded position, a support surface 162 of the support arm 16 faces a bottom surface 322 of the central plate 32, and the drop-leaves 34 are in the folded state as being substantially perpendicular to the central plate 32. When the drop-leaves 34 are pivoted and spread to a degree that the top surface 344 of each of the drop-leaves 34 is substantially level with the top surface 324 of the central plate 32, and when the support arm 16 is at the support position, the support surface 162 of the support arm 16 faces and contacts a bottom surface 342 of each of the drop-leaves 34 to support the drop-leaves 34, whereby the drop-leaves 34 are not pivotable relative to the central plate 32.

As shown in FIG. 10, the support arm 16 is a hollow tube, and includes a positioning protrusion 164 and an elastic sheet 166. An end of the elastic sheet 166 is fixedly connected to an inner surface 165 of the hollow tube, and another end of the elastic sheet 166 is fixedly connected to the positioning protrusion 164. The hollow tube has a bore 163, and the bottom surface 322 of the central plate 32 has a pit 322 a. When the support arm 16 is at the folded position, the bore 163 of the hollow tube does not align with the pit 322 a on the bottom surface 322 of the central plate 32, so that the positioning protrusion 164 passes through the bore 163 and pushes against the bottom surface 322 of the central plate 32 as being urged by the elastic force provided by the elastic sheet 166. When the support arm 16 is at the support position, the bore 163 of the hollow tube aligns with the pit 322 a on the bottom surface 322 of the central plate, so that the positioning protrusion 164, which is urged by the elastic force provided by the elastic sheet 166, passes through the bore 163 to fit into the pit 322 a of the bottom surface 322 of the central plate 32. As a result, the support arm 16 is not pivotable relative to the pivot connector 12. In practice, the positioning protrusion 164 and the elastic sheet 166 are optional components, which can be omitted if that is allowed by actual requirements.

As shown in FIG. 10, each of the drop-leaves 34 includes a pad 346 fixedly provided on the bottom surface 342 thereof. When the support arm 16 is at the support position, the pad 346 is located between the bottom surface 322 of the drop-leaf 32 it belongs and the support surface 162 of the support arm 16, which keeps the top surface 344 of each of the drop-leaves 34 substantially level with the top surface 324 of the central plate 32. The location of the pad 346 of the current embodiment is not a limitation of the present invention. Actually, the pad 346 is, in practice, not a necessary component, and can be placed at a different location or even omitted, depending on the actual requirements. Alternatively, the support arm 16 and the drop-leaves 34 can be fixed directly by a screw or bolt provided through a hole 168 of the support arm 16, as shown in FIG. 4A.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the support arm 16 includes a pad (not shown) which can be fixedly provided on the support surface 162 of the support arm 16 instead. Similarly, when the support arm 16 is at the support position, the pad is located between the support surface 162 of the support arm 16 and the bottom surface 342 of each of the drop-leaves 34, whereby the top surface 344 of each of the drop-leaves 34 is substantially level with the top surface 324 of the central plate 32.

With the folding support structure provided in the present invention, the top and legs of a desk can be folded, which could reduce the volume of the desk, and therefore could better utilize the cargo capacity of loading transportation, increasing the shipping efficiency of such desks. On the other hand, the folding support structure provided in the present invention is easy to use, by which a desk in the folded state can be easily unfolded into the unfolded state, and once a desk is in the unfolded state, it is ready to be used after the support base is assembled. Furthermore, in comparison to conventional desk products which require manual assembling performed by users, the desks having the folding support structure provided in the present invention could be more durable, and could provide a higher loading capacity and stability.

It must be pointed out that the embodiments described above are only some preferred embodiments of the present invention. All equivalent structures which employ the concepts disclosed in this specification and the appended claims should fall within the scope of the present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A folding support structure comprising: a top support, which has a pivot connector and an assembler, wherein the assembler has an assembling surface; and a leg assembly comprising a column, which comprises a pivotally connected end, a free end, and a wing, wherein the column is pivotally connected to the pivot connector of the top support with the pivotally connected end thereof, so that the column is pivotal relative to the top support; the wing of the column has an abutting surface; when the column pivots to an unfolded position, the abutting surface of the wing contacts the assembling surface of the assembler, and is secured thereto through a fixing connection approach.
 2. The folding support structure of claim 1, wherein the wing protrudes from a lateral side of the column in a radial direction thereof.
 3. The folding support structure of claim 1, wherein the assembler comprises a bolt provided on the assembling surface, and the wing has a notch or a bore corresponding to the bolt; when the abutting surface of the wing contacts the assembling surface of the assembler, the bolt of the assembler passes through the notch or the bore of the wing, and the fixing connection approach is to thread a nut onto the bolt, whereby to fixedly connect the wing and the assembler.
 4. The folding support structure of claim 1, wherein the column further comprises a stepless extendable sleeve assembly, which comprises a plurality of sleeves, wherein each of the sleeves fits into one another in an extendable manner, by which a length of the column is adjustable.
 5. The folding support structure of claim 4, wherein the leg assembly further comprises a threaded rod and a plurality of nuts provided in the stepless extendable sleeve assembly, wherein each of the nuts is correspondingly and coaxially secured to one of the sleeves; the threaded rod passes through the nuts; when the threaded rod is driven to rotate by a driving unit, the nuts are driven by the threaded rod to move along the threaded rod in an axial direction thereof, so that the sleeves are extendable and contractible to adjust the length of the column.
 6. The folding support structure of claim 1, wherein the leg assembly further comprises a support base, which is detachably connected to the free end of the column.
 7. The folding support structure of claim 1, wherein the top support is fixedly connected to a bottom surface of a top; the top comprises a central plate and a drop-leaf, wherein the drop-leaf is pivotally connected to the central plate so that the drop-leaf is pivotable relative to the central plate.
 8. The folding support structure of claim 7, wherein the top support further comprises a support arm; the support arm is pivotally connected to the assembler, so that the support arm is pivotable relative to the assembler; when the support arm is at a folded position, a support surface of the support arm faces a bottom surface of the central plate, and the drop-leaf is substantially perpendicular to the central plate; when the drop-leaf pivots and spreads to a degree that a top surface of the drop-leaf is substantially level with a top surface of the central plate, and when the support arm is at a support position, the support surface of the support arm faces and contacts a bottom surface of the drop-leaf to support the drop-leaf, so that the drop-leaf is not pivotable relative to the central plate.
 9. The folding support structure of claim 8, wherein the support arm is a hollow tube, and comprises a positioning protrusion and an elastic sheet; the hollow tube has a bore; an end of the elastic sheet is fixedly connected to an inner surface of the hollow tube, and another end of the elastic sheet is fixedly connected to the positioning protrusion; the bottom surface of the central plate has a pit thereon; when the support arm is at the folded position, the bore of the hollow tube does not align with the pit on the bottom surface of the central plate, so that the positioning protrusion passes through the bore and pushes against the bottom surface of the central plate as being urged by an elastic force provided by the elastic sheet; when the support arm is at the support position, the bore of the hollow tube aligns with the pit on the bottom surface of the central plate, so that the positioning protrusion, which is urged by the elastic force provided by the elastic sheet, passes through the bore to fit into the pit on the bottom surface of the central plate, whereby the support arm is not pivotable relative to the pivot connector.
 10. The folding support structure of claim 8, wherein the drop-leaf comprises a pad fixedly provided on bottom surface of the drop-leaf, when the support arm is at the support position, the pad is located between the bottom surface of the drop-leaf and the support surface of the support arm, which makes the top surface of the drop-leaf substantially level with the top surface of the central plate.
 11. A folding support structure comprising: a top support, which has a pivot connector and an assembler, wherein the assembler has an assembling surface; and a leg assembly comprising a column, which comprises a pivotally connected end, a free end, and a wing, wherein the column is pivotally connected to the pivot connector of the top support with the pivotally connected end thereof, so that the column is pivotal relative to the top support; when the column pivots to an unfolded position, the wing is fixedly connected to the assembler through a fixing connection approach which is performed with a single connecting point.
 12. The folding support structure of claim 11, wherein the wing protrudes from a lateral side of the column in a radial direction thereof.
 13. The folding support structure of claim 11, wherein the assembler comprises a bolt provided on the assembling surface thereof, and the wing has a notch or a bore corresponding to the bolt; when the abutting surface of the wing contacts the assembling surface of the assembler, the bolt of the assembler passes through the notch or the bore of the wing, and the fixing connection approach is to thread a nut onto the bolt, whereby to fixedly connect the wing and the assembler.
 14. The folding support structure of claim 11, wherein the column further comprises a stepless extendable sleeve assembly, which comprises a plurality of sleeves; each of the sleeves fits into one another in an extendable manner, by which a length of the column is adjustable.
 15. The folding support structure of claim 14, wherein the leg assembly further comprises a threaded rod and a plurality of nuts provided in the stepless extendable sleeve assembly; each of the nuts is correspondingly and coaxially secured to one of the sleeves; the threaded rod passes through the nuts; when the threaded rod is driven to rotate by a driving unit, the nuts are driven by the threaded rod to move along the threaded rod in an axial direction thereof, so that the sleeves are extendable and contractible to adjust the length of the column.
 16. The folding support structure of claim 11, wherein the leg assembly further comprises a support base, which is detachably connected to the free end of the column.
 17. The folding support structure of claim 11, wherein the top support is fixedly connected to a bottom surface of a top; the top comprises a central plate and a drop-leaf, wherein the drop-leaf is pivotally connected to the central plate, so that the drop-leaf is pivotable relative to the central plate.
 18. The folding support structure of claim 17, wherein the top support further comprises a support arm; the support arm is pivotally connected to the assembler, so that the support arm is pivotable relative to the assembler; when the support arm is at a folded position, a support surface of the support arm faces a bottom surface of the central plate, and the drop-leaf is substantially perpendicular to the central plate; when the drop-leaf pivots and spreads to a degree that a top surface of the drop-leaf is substantially level with a top surface of the central plate, and when the support arm is at a support position, the support surface of the support arm faces and contacts a bottom surface of the drop-leaf to support the drop-leaf, so that the drop-leaf is not pivotable relative to the central plate.
 19. The folding support structure of claim 18, wherein the support arm is a hollow tube, and comprises a positioning protrusion and an elastic sheet; the hollow tube has a bore; an end of the elastic sheet is fixedly connected to an inner surface of the hollow tube, and another end of the elastic sheet is fixedly connected to the positioning protrusion; the bottom surface of the central plate has a pit thereon; when the support arm is at the folded position, the bore of the hollow tube does not align with the pit on the bottom surface of the central plate, so that the positioning protrusion passes through the bore and pushes against the bottom surface of the central plate as being urged by an elastic force provided by the elastic sheet; when the support arm is at the support position, the bore of the hollow tube aligns with the pit on the bottom surface of the central plate, so that the positioning protrusion, which is urged by the elastic force provided by the elastic sheet, passes through the bore to fit into the pit on the bottom surface of the central plate, whereby the support arm is not pivotable relative to the pivot connector.
 20. The folding support structure of claim 18, wherein the drop-leaf comprises a pad fixedly provided on bottom surface of the drop-leaf, when the support arm is at the support position, the pad is located between the bottom surface of the drop-leaf and the support surface of the support arm, which makes the top surface of the drop-leaf substantially level with the top surface of the central plate. 